The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, whose members specialize in anterior segment ophthalmic surgery, issued guidelines to help ophthalmologists determine their ability to charge Medicare and its beneficiaries for the use of laser technology, according to a news release.
The femtosecond laser has been in use for a decade but was FDA approved for cataract removal in 2009. The guidance was written in response to requests from ophthalmologists.
Three key points of the guidelines are as follows:
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The femtosecond laser has been in use for a decade but was FDA approved for cataract removal in 2009. The guidance was written in response to requests from ophthalmologists.
Three key points of the guidelines are as follows:
- Providers may not bill Medicare, a beneficiary, or his or her secondary insurer for additional fees to perform covered components of cataract surgery with a femtosecond laser.
- Providers may bill the patient an additional fee for using the femtosecond laser when performing a refractive lens exchange because the procedure is not covered by Medicare.
- Providers should not use the differential charge allowed for implantation of a premium intra-ocular lens to recover the costs of using the femtosecond laser for cataract surgical steps.
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